Fresh off their first loss of the season, the San Francisco 49ers are set to visit the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football to wrap up Week 7 of the NFL season.
San Francisco finds itself at 5-1 on the season heading into this one with the Vikings boasting a mere 2-4 record.
On paper, this seems to be a lopsided matchup. That’s especially true with Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson out of action due to a hamstring injury.
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With that said, the 49ers are also going to be without star left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Deebo Samuel for this one. Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey is dealing with an oblique injury and isn’t anywhere near 100%.
Will the Vikings be able to take advantage of this at home Monday night against San Francisco? Below, we check in on four bold predictions for the primetime game.
Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter recorded three sacks
Hunter entered Week 7 tied with J.J. Watt for the league lead in sacks with eight. The stud veteran has been absolutely brilliant, including a three-sack performance against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles back in Week 5.
With the aforementioned Williams sidelined for this one, we expect Minnesota’s defensive front to take advantage and put a ton of pressure on Brock Purdy. The inexperienced Jaylon Moore will be called on to replace Williams as Purdy’s blindside protector. Colton McKivitz will be going up against Hunter. This is a plus-level matchup for the Pro Bowl edge rusher. Look for him to record three sacks in what could be one of the veteran’s final games with Minnesota. But it’s not all lost for 49ers fans. Hunter could very well end up in Northern California ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Related: San Francisco 49ers Injury Report
Brock Purdy responds with 300-yard game for San Francisco 49ers
Purdy put up the worst performance of his career in last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. The second-year quarterback completed just 12-of-27 passes for 125 yards while throwing his first interception of the season.
However, it must be noted that Purdy was going up against an elite-level Browns defense. He’s also performed like a top-10 quarterback throughout his sophomore season.
- Brock Purdy stats (2023): 68% completion, 1,396 yards, 12 total TD, 1 INT, 111.9 QB rating
Purdy has a much more favorable matchup against Minnesota Monday night. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 75% of their passes with nine touchdowns and three interceptions against the Vikings’ defense this season. Look for Purdy to rebound and put up his second career 300-yard passing game Monday night.
Minnesota Vikings keep it close until the final quarter
While Minnesota heads into this game with a 2-4 record, it must be noted that those four defeats have come by a combined 20 points. The team continues to play competitive football despite a lack of all-around talent after last offseason’s fire sale.
We’re not expecting the Vikings to simply quit on this game or the season. A win Monday night would change the dynamics a bit in that Minnesota would then be somewhat alive in the NFC Playoff picture. Look for Kevin O’Connell’s squad to come out and show fire early.
Nick Bosa sack of Kirk Cousins sends San Francisco 49ers to a win
Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa has not put up eye-opening numbers thus far this season. At the very least, when it comes to sacks (2.5). But he’s been among the most consistent pass rushers in football and will soon get home with a multiple sack game. Heading into Week 7, Bosa has recorded 16 QB hits (he had 48 last season).
For his part, protection has not been a major issue for Cousins (15 sacks in six games). We’re expecting that to change come Monday night in Minnesota. Bosa should have himself a heck of a game against Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neil. That will include a strip sack of Cousins in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 49ers touchdown to put the game away.
- Final prediction: San Francisco 49ers 31, Minnesota Vikings 17